Many varieties of potted plants require some kind of mechanical support for growth indoors. The ordinary wooden stake or stick typically used for this purpose is often unsatisfactory because it is inadequately anchored by the loose potting soil. The stake may shift out of position and may not support the plant. Further, as the plant grows, the original stake may be too short for the plant and may not easily be replaced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,678 to Schweiker, there is described a hollow extendable support post for plants. In this system, the support post rests on a base member which lies flat at the bottom of the pot. This system relies on the weight of the potting soil on the base member to secure it in position and avoid the difficulties referred to above. However, it has been found that this is also insufficient to prevent shifting of the support post. Furthermore, this system may not be used for self-watering pots which have a protrusion in the bottom of the pot to allow water to enter the pot.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,038 to Gregoranto, there is described another plant support device which improves on the ordinary wooden stake. In this device, radially extending fingers in the horizontal plane support the vertical support rod. However, this device also suffers from instability because of the flexibility of the fingers and their propensity to shift within the pot.
In these prior art devices, the support rod is off-set from the centre of the pot so as to provide room for the plant itself which is typically centred in the pot. If the plant begins to lean towards the rod, the base for the rod is more likely to shift within the pot and may not adequately support the plant.
Another difficulty with prior art devices is the lack of a stable and convenient means for securing the plant to the support rod. Typically, the user must tie a short string around the plant and the rod. This string does not easily move upwards as the plant grows and additional strings must be used. Also, the string has no vertical support on the support rod and will slip downwards if not supported by the plant itself.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an extendable plant support system which may easily and conveniently be secured to the pot. It would be advantageous for such a system to include convenient means for securing the plant to the support system which allows for adjustment as the plant grows.